That large sucking sound you hear is the Pentagon taking our money -- and not remembering where they put it. It seems they've underestimated what the war in Iraq will cost this year -- again. To the tune of $12.3 billion. The Government Accountability Office recently issued a stinging report on financial mismanagement in the Pentagon. It's so bad the Department of Defense admits it can't actually tell you where its money goes.
So why the $12 billion (yes, that's billion, with a "b") more this year? One reason is they can't seem to find about $1.2 billion worth of the stuff they sent to Iraq.
There's also this gem:
- Another Pentagon agency mistakenly sold chemical warfare suits on the Internet for $3 each while a separate office was struggling to fill shortages with new suits it bought for $200 each.
We're supposed to be tracking the financial records and activities of terrorists. And our own Defense Department is losing billions of dollars of equipment in Iraq -- you know, that place where all the bad guys are -- and selling chemical warfare suits on the internet to anyone who wants them for three bucks. Our troops on the ground need this equipment, and this is how the leadership at the Pentagon treats them.
But remember, America is safer.
